1. Field of the Invention:
The invention relates in general to elevator systems, and more specifically to an elevator system having a new and improved arrangement for detecting, and then bypassing, faults in elevator associated lamps disposed at the various floors of a building.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An elevator system includes a plurality of lamps disposed at each floor of the associated building. For example, a conventional hall lantern arrangement for each intermediate floor of a building includes two lamps and a gong for each elevator car. The terminal floors each have a single lamp and a gong for each elevator car. Each floor also includes a lamp for each hall call pushbutton, which is illuminated when a call is entered to provide visual confirmation of call entry.
Copending application Ser. No. 527,920 filed Aug. 30, 1983, entitled "Elevator System" discloses an elevator system in which the hall lanterns at each floor of a building are controlled by a hall lantern controller. Each hall lantern controller includes a microcomputer, which includes a microprocessor. The communication between the car controller of the associated elevator car, which also includes a digital computer, and the hall lantern controllers, is serial. Only three wires are required in the hoistway for full duplex (two-way) communication between the car controller and its associated hall lantern controllers. Complicated wiring patterns are avoided by utilizing a microcomputer in each hall lantern.
The car controller prepares an illumination command for a specific hall lantern controller, using a unique floor address or identification code assigned to the hall lantern controller to be communicated with. All of the hall lantern controllers constantly monitor the serial communication link and when a message is placed on the link by the associated car controller, each hall lantern controller compares its unique address with the address portion of the message. When the message address matches the unique address of a hall lantern controller, the associated hall lantern controller responds to the remaining portion of the message, implementing the requested illumination command. After a command has been implemented, such as a command to turn on the up hall lantern, a command to turn on the down hall lantern, or a command to turn off the hall lanterns, the hall lantern controller sends a message back to the car controller which acknowledges reception and performance of the command.
A floor related microcomputer can also be used to detect the entry of a hall call, send a detected call to a dispatcher function over a communication link, and receive illumination commands back from the dispatcher function over this link for controlling the lamps associated with the hall call buttons.
Controllers or processors which utilize microcomputers may be damaged if allowed to energize a fault, beyond a very short period of time, such as a shorted lamp circuit.